Forever and Always
by rose1209
Summary: At 8 1/2 months pregnant Haley James Scott's life was completely turned upside down. She was dragged kicking and screaming from the home of her and her husband Nathan Scott. Five years later she manages to escape with her child. Will she find her way back to the love of her life or will things take a turn for the worst?
1. Prologue

Haley James Scott panted as she ran through the darkness down the street. She held her daughter tight in her arms as she ran.

Haley ran up to a house and began pounding on the door.

"Open the door!" She begged through her choked sobs "Please open the door!"

Her young daughter was quiet in her arms, but her fear was written all over her face.

Finally, an older woman opened the door

"Oh my goodness? Miss are you okay?What happened?" The woman questioned worriedly and stepped aside to let Haley into the house.

"Please, you have to help us!" Haley begged, "He's gonna come for us!"

The next day Haley ran through a bus station, her little girl was again tight in her arms.

She quickly bought two tickets with the money that had been given to her and took off to where her bus would be.

She kept close watch of her surroundings as she runs to be sure she was not being followed. So far so good it seemed.

Haley also kept glancing down into her arms to make sure that Emma was okay.

She finally reached her bus and rushed on board. She settled Emma and herself into an open seat in the way back of the bus.

Haley's heart raced as she waited for the bus to move. The relief she felt when the bus began to move and pull out of the bus station was incredible.

They were free. After five years of being trapped in a house with no contact with the outside world, Haley and Emma were finally free. Things were far from okay, but they were headed in that direction.


	2. Chapter One

Haley admired the beautiful sunrise as the bus drove down the highway. It had been so long since she could admire the small beautiful things in life.

Emma laid fast asleep in her lap. Emma truly was Haley's little angel. Her saving grace. Had it not been for Emma, Haley would have given up on life and hope long ago. The little girl was as sweet and precious as it could get.

The little girl was also a near carbon copy of her father, Nathan.

Nathan... Haley had not seen him in over five years. She often found herself thinking of him. How was he? Did he make it to the NBA? Did he ever think of her or the baby?

She knew he believed her to be dead like like the rest of the world, but she still hoped to find her way back to him. She wanted nothing more than for Emma to know her daddy and for Nathan to know her. It broke her heart that he could not see the product of their love.

Haley did not know how, but they were all going to be a family one day. She was determined to make that happen.

She just had to make sure it was safe first. That was the only thing stopping her from running back to Nathan and her friends. Whoever had kidnapped her was still out there. She couldn't risk putting Nate in any danger, so as much as it killed her, she had to stay away for the time being.

Haley was so lost in her thoughts that she had not realized they had stopped.

They had been on the bus long enough that Haley figured they were probably safe at this point.

She gently shook Emma's shoulder "

"C'mon sweets time to go." She said quietly.

Emma's blue eyes fluttered open "Where are we?"

"I don't know, but let's go find out," Haley said giving Emma a small smile.

They stepped off the bus to find it was cloudy but warm.

They wandered into a nearby tourist shop, and a postcard told Haley that they were in Brookfield, Georgia. A map told her they weren't far from Savannah. This seemed like a good place for them for now. They were safe here.

Haley bought two cheap sandwiches and two bottles of water. She leads Emma to a nearby bench to eat. Emma surprisingly was not very talkative.

Haley sadly figured she was still shaken by the events of the last couple of days.

They spent the rest of the day wandering around the small town. When night came, Haley used the last of her money to get them a very cheap room to stay in for the night. It was very run down, but at the same time, it was something.

Later that night Haley found herself watching Emma sleep. The poor little girl had been through so much in her short lifetime that it broke Haley's heart.

"It'll get better baby" Haley whispered to her sleeping daughter "Mommy promises."

Haley was reassuring not just her daughter, but also herself. Little did she know that a man laid awake in bed 300 miles away in Tree Hill, North Carolina. He laid awake longing for her, missing her, and thinking over and over that he would give anything to have her back.

The next day they wandered around some more. After a while, Haley spotted a small diner and had an idea. She leads Emma inside.

"Excuse me are you guys hiring by chance?" Haley asked the woman at the counter.

"Well, we have been kind of busy..." The woman responded, "Do you have any experience?"

"Yeah, I used to waitress," Haley replied thinking back to her days at Karen's Cafe.

"Well, when can you start?"

"Today," Haley said quickly.

The woman looked taken aback but agreed.

Haley spent the rest of the day training at the diner while Emma colored at the counter.

Meanwhile, in Tree Hill, Nathan Scott sat alone in the home that had once belonged to him and his wife. Surely since he had much more money now from playing in the NBA, he could buy something bigger and better, but he had not wanted to. Not with his wife and child by his side.

He had been doing somewhat better since his friends and family had forced him into seeing a shrink, but he would never completely heal.

Nathan had started to accept that Haley would not want him to be as lost as he had been since she had been kidnapped and murdered. At this point, Nathan was merely just trying to get through each day.

As he was getting up to begin packing a bag for trading camp, he heard a knock at the door.

He opened it to reveal his half brother Lucas on the other side.

"Hey man. What's up?" Said Nathan.

Lucas shrugged "Just wanted to see how you were doing"

"Fine, I guess."Nathan shrugged and moved aside to let Lucas into his apartment.

So are you excited to start off a new season?" Luke asked as Nathan wandered around packing his bag.

"It'll keep my mind off of everything. So yeah"Nathan replied.

Lucas was happy Nathan still had basketball. Like he said it kept his mind off Haley and it was one of the few things he still had to make him happy.

Nathan was slowly starting to do better lately. It was small, and you had to know him to notice it, but he was slowly healing as much as he could. Lucas wished he could do more for him.

"How's the wife?"Nathan asked.

"Brooke's okay"Lucas responded "She's excited about Peyton and Jake coming to visit. We were hoping that maybe you would want to join us all for dinner when they get tomorrow."

Nathan stopped what he was doing. Being around happily married couples and families was not easy for him. It only reminded him what he had lost. At the same time though he was trying to get better.

Lucas watched Nathan debate with himself for a minute or so. Finally, he responded.

"Yeah sure guess I could come."

"Really?" Lucas responded surprised. Nathan usually said no to these kinds of things. "Nate that's great!"

"All about moving forward right?" Nathan responded with a small smile.

"She'd be happy for you Nate," Lucas said gently.

"I know." He responded quietly

Lucas quickly changed the subject "So I'll have Brooke text you all the details and see you tomorrow night?"

"Yeah nice to see you man," Nathan said as Lucas opened the door and left.

Nathan continued to pack his bag but stopped for a second to glance longingly at the framed picture of the table of Haley and him.


	3. Chapter Two

After a working at the diner for a few weeks, Haley was finally able to afford to rent out a tiny, cheap apartment for her and Emma to live in. Like everything else lately, it wasn't much. It was something though.

Haley's boss, a lovely woman by the name of Mave, doted on Emma. Due to this, Emma was allowed to hang around the diner while Haley worked. She mostly just sat around and colored. They also ate most of their meals at the restaurant.

Call Haley paranoid, but she still felt the need to triple check that all the doors and windows were locked at night. She lived in constant fear that Damon would find them.

Damon is the man that cruelly kept Haley, and later Emma locked away in a house in Connecticut. Haley was sure he had to be looking for them and was most likely very pissed off they were gone in the first place. Damon was a dangerous man, and Haley feared what would happen if he ever found them.

Haley even went as far as almost having a panic attack when she thought she saw him come into the diner. It had been a false alarm though.

She also had made friends with one of the other waitresses. A woman about her age named Michelle. Michelle was married with a daughter about Emma's age. It warmed Haley's heart to see her little girl interact with someone her age.

"Mommy?"Emma asked before bed one night.

"Yeah, baby?" Haley replied while putting some laundry away.

"Since we left Damon's house, when do we get to go see daddy?"

Haley froze and thought carefully how to reply.

"Mommy doesn't know sweetie." She said sadly.

Emma looked sad. All the poor little girl had ever wanted was to know her daddy. Haley didn't even have a picture of Nathan to show her. All she could do was tell her how much they looked alike. She made sure to tell her how amazing he is and how much he was going to love her.

"Will I ever get to meet daddy?"

Haley did her best not to cry. She sat down on the bed and pulled Emma into a hug.

"I don't know how or when, but I promise you are going to meet daddy," Haley said.

"I love you mommy," Emma whispered.

"I love you to angel,"Haley whispered back.

That night Emma asked to hear a story about Nathan for bedtime. Haley told her the story of their first date. Emma had heard it before, but it never seemed to get old for her.

After she fell asleep, Haley wandered into the kitchen. She sinks to the floor and leans against the cabinets. She finally wills herself to cry.

Emma wasn't the only one who wanted to see Nathan. Haley missed him so much it was unbelievable. Every time she looked into Emma's deep blue eyes she was reminded of him. Haley wanted nothing more than to run home to him; it just wasn't safe. She couldn't risk leading Damon to him.

"Aww P. Sawyer look at how cute we were!"

Peyton looked up to see Brooke hanging a picture to her. It was a cheerleading picture of them from their junior year of high school.

"Yeah it seems like it was yesterday," Peyton said looking at the picture.

Since Peyton, Jake, and Jenny were in town, Brooke had insisted for them all to go out to dinner at a fancy restaurant. After dinner, they had all went back to Brooke and Lucas' house. Nathan had surprised them all by not just going to dinner, but sticking around to hang out afterward. Now the guys were watching some game, while the girls looked at old pictures. Six-year-old Jenny sat off to the side playing with her dolls.

"C'mon don't you miss it here? Don't you miss me?"Brooke asked. She was always trying to persuade Peyton to move back to Tree Hill.

"Of course I miss my Brooke. We can't just drop everything and move back though."Peyton responded.

Brooke pouted but didn't argue. She was already busy looking at another picture. Her expression instantly looked sad.

"What?"Peyton asked.

Brooke handed Peyton the picture. It was a picture of Brooke, Peyton, and Haley. It was from Dare Night of their Junior year of high school.

"That was a fun night..."Peyton said, still looking at the picture.

Brooke scoffed "Easy for you to say. You weren't stuck with Felix."

"Okay, fair point." Peyton laughed.

"Look at how happy she was,"Brooke whispered, not wanting Nathan to over hear them. "It's not fair. She didn't deserve any of what happened to her."

"I know." Peyton responded, "How's Nathan doing?"

"Better, he seems like he wants to move forward. He could just be hiding how he really feels though."

Peyton went to say something, but Brooke quickly changed the subject "So I finished the sketches for my new line. Wanna see?"

Peyton looked at her confused until she saw the guys enter the kitchen and understood.

"Uh yeah sure." She responded.

Brooke had become a clothing designer in the last five years. She lived in New York for a while until she decided to move back to Tree Hill to be closer to Lucas. Now she ran her company from Tree Hill.

She ran off to get her sketch book, leaving Peyton alone with the three guys.

"Anything good?" Jake asked referring to the pictures.

"Eh, just lots of memories." Peyton shrugged and started to put the pictures away.

Jake smiled as he looked at a picture of Brooke, Peyton, and a baby Jenny.

A look of pain flashed across Nathan's face. It was then Peyton noticed that he was holding a picture of Haley and him from their wedding day.

As quickly as the look appeared it was gone. Jake and Luke had not even noticed it. When he noticed Peyton watching him, he put the picture back and went back into the living room.

Before Peyton could go after him, Brooke had returned with her sketches.

Later that night, Peyton found Nathan sitting out on the front porch by himself.

"Hey, buddy." She said taking a seat next to him.

He glanced at her but didn't say anything.

"We should have had more time." He said. "It's not fair!"

"It's not." She said.

"Do you ever go and talk to her?" Peyton asked after a while.

"Huh?"

"Like go to the cemetery and talk to her."

"What's the point. Not like she can hear me." He said skeptically.

"Sure she can!"Peyton said kindly "Just think about it."

She patted him on the back and went back into the house.

Finding herself unable to sleep, Haley wandered outside to the steps of her apartment. She found herself wondering about Nathan and wondering what he was doing in that moment. How he was doing...

'I need you.' She thought to herself 'We need you.'


	4. Chapter Three

"Erin, Sam keeps looking at you," Michelle commented to Haley one day.

"I know," She responded, "He asked me out a few days ago."

Sam was the cook for the diner. He was always staring at her and offering to drive her and Emma home.

"And you said..."Michelle pressed.

" No," Haley said as she wiped down a dirty table.

"What?!Why?!" Michelle looked at her like she was crazy.

" I have too much to worry about," Haley said.

This was partially true. Haley's biggest reason was that she was a married woman. Nobody knew that of course. To everyone around here, she was Erin Lenz, a struggling single mother.

"What's the story with her daddy?" Michelle asked motioning to Emma, who sat coloring at a nearby table, breaking Haley out of her thoughts.

"He's not in the picture," Haley said quietly, not wanting to discuss this.

Michelle seemed to sense this and didn't pray for any more information.

"Well if you change your mind, Connor and I could double date with you guys."

"Thanks," Haley laughed "I'm pretty set on my decision though."

"So how do you like it here?" Michelle asked, "You think you're here to stay?"

"I like it," Haley responded, organizing a tray of silver wear, "I believe that we're staying here to stay for the time being."

Michelle gave her a friendly smile and then went off to check on one of her tables.

Haley and Emma had been in Brookfield a little over four months. Damon did not seem to have found them, but Haley still had her moments when she still felt afraid. She also still double checked all of her doors and windows at night. Even though he had not found them, Haley knew he was looking. She also knew he was probably getting angrier and more dangerous by the minute.

Haley had chopped off her long honey blonde locks and dyed her hair a dark golden brown. She also didn't have money for makeup. She honestly didn't believe she would be recognizable to anyone. There also was the fact that everyone thought she was dead.

Like most other days, Haley was working a double. When things began to slow down, she started her pre closing routine with hopes of getting home at a decent hour. She picked up dishes while one of her last tables finished up.

It was a young couple at the table. Haley's heart ached as she noticed the rings on their fingers as they held hands across the table.

Haley could not help but wonder if she would ever hold Nathan's hand again. After a minute, she had to walk away. It was too much for her to watch other happy couples.

Instead, she turned her attention to her sleeping angel in the booth next to her. Haley felt bad about keeping her out so late, Michelle had even offered to take her back to her house when she left earlier, but Haley had trouble letting Emma out of her sight. Haley was sure that would go away when Damon was caught and put away for good.

Nathan made another perfect three point shot. It was two am, and the rest of the team had long since gone to bed. He had been unable to sleep, as usual, so he had decided to go for a late night run. Running had always been the best way to clear his head. After he finished his run, he had found himself in the gym.

The last few weeks of training camp had been nice. Basketball had always been Nathan's escape. Even when his entire world was falling apart, it all faded the minute he stepped onto the court. It was like he was in another realm out on the court. Basketball was the one thing that numbed the pain he had been in for the last five years.

He was getting better, but he would never completely heal. He would also never forgive himself for not being able to protect Haley the night she was abducted.

 _Nathan closed the front door of his mother's house behind him. He had just gotten home from a long day of work at the factory that Skills had helped him get a job._

 _"Nathan?" Haley's cheery voice sounded from the kitchen._

 _"Hey." He said tiredly._

 _"Hey, how did it go?" She asked, her voice still cheery._

 _"Fine." He responded nonchalantly._

 _"Hey, will you listen to this part of my speech and tell me if it works?" She asked._

 _"Yeah, sure let's hear it," Nathan said as he took a seat to take his boots off._

 _"Okay." She said "Now is the time for us to shine. A time when dreams are within reach and possibilities vast. Now is the time for all of us to become the people we have always dreamed of being."_

 _She stopped when she caught sight of him sitting there. She looked at him with a mixture of sadness and worry._

 _They locked eyes for a second; then he went back to untying his boots._

 _He still felt her staring._

 _"Nathan." She whispered, "Maybe if you just wait a few more weeks someone will-"_

 _He cut her off "No. Nobody wants me. Nobody wants a point shaver. Like I said, this day just can a lot earlier than I thought it would."_

 _She didn't try to argue with him. After a second, he got open and gently kissed her._

" _One thing I know for sure is I love you" He whispered as he pressed his forehead against hers._

 _"Love you too," Haley said, looking into his deep blue eyes. She felt him lay his hand on her belly._

 _"And I love my strong little guy too."_

 _"Nathan, you don't know it's a boy"Haley chided._

 _"I've felt that strong little kick. It's a boy, trust me" He said confidently._

 _Haley just smiled and shook her head. She knew not finding out the sex of their baby was driving him insane._

 _" We should be thinking about names though," Haley said wrapping her arms around his neck._

 _" I actually had an idea_."

" _Oh yeah? Let's hear it?" Haley said sitting down on the couch and pulling him down with her._

 _"Well if it's a boy what about "James" after you." Nathan suggested with a smile "And then maybe we can use "Lucas" as a middle name."_

 _" I love it!"Haley said giving him a quick peck on the lips "What if it's a girl though?"_

 _"Slim chance," He laughed "If it is though what about...Emma?Emma Rose maybe,"_

 _"Not bad," She shrugged "How about we brainstorm some more over dinner?"_

 _"Sounds like a plan. Just let me go take a quick shower."_

"Okay _love you!" Haley chirped, going back to looking over her valedictorian speech._

 _"Love you too!"_

 _Little had Nathan, that would be the last time he would see his wife alive._

He had come back downstairs from his shower to find Haley gone. The front door was wide open and unlocked. Their car was still in the driveway, and Haley's phone and purse were still sitting on the counter where she had left them.

Nathan made a few calls to see if any of their friends had picked her up or knew where she was. Hours passed and nothing. It was as she disappeared into thin air.

Finally, when his mother came home, they decided to call the police. The police, unfortunately, made them wait 48 hours before letting them file a missing person report.

To this day, Nathan believes if they had just done something right away then maybe Haley could have been found before it was too late.

After graduation, Whitey offered Nathan a spot playing college ball for him. Nathan took it and tried to live his life as normally as possible, with hopes of Haley and their child being found safe and alive.

His hopes were shattered when he received the phone call a year later that human remains had been found and identified as Haley. That had nearly killed him. It took him years to come close to getting better, and he still wasn't there. What made it even worse was that her case was still a cold case. The police had nothing.

Nathan still went to school and played basketball, but on the inside he was empty. Last year he was drafted into the NBA to be a point guard for the Charlotte Bobcats. That's where he was at this stage in his life. He simply took it day by day.

The guilt of not being able to protect Haley that night still haunted him though. If only he had just finished up sooner or waited to take his shower. If only...


	5. Chapter Four

Another month passed, and Haley's savings grew substantially. For the first time since they had been here, she had extra money.

Haley no longer had to worry about being evicted or not being able to feed Emma.

Michelle had been kind enough to give Haley a few bags of clothes for her and Emma. It felt nice for Haley to be able to give Emma some slightly new things. Haley just wanted Em to have a somewhat of a normal life.

Haley smiled as Emma twirled around their apartment in one of the hand me down sundresses Michelle had given her.

"How do I look mommy?"

"Beautiful as always," Haley told Emma with a warm smile.

Emma smiled widely. Emma's smile and laugh warmed Haley's, broken heart. It was just so pure and innocent.

Emma's smile mirrored Haley's, but the rest of her face was all Nathan. Haley looked at it as from the nose up Emma was Nathan and from the lips down she was Haley. It made Haley happy and sad when she looked at Emma. It made her happy to see the beautiful product of her and Nathan's love. It made her sad because every time she looked into Emma's blue eyes, she was reminded of how much she missed Nathan.

Haley would not trade her Emma for the world though. She had brightened Haley's world from the second that she had been born.

 _It had been about six days she since Damon had dragged Haley out of the Scott house against her will. She was not sure exactly where she was for he had tied her up and blindfolded her once he had gotten her a fair distance away from the Scott house. All she knew was that they had driven for a long time._

 _After a while, the car stopped, and he pulled her out. He_ lead _her through a doorway and down a flight of stairs. Damon had untied her and taken off her blindfold. She found herself in a basement that had been converted into a living space. Haley's stomach turned when she saw a crib and a bunch of other baby stuff. How long was he planning on keeping her here?_

 _"Why are you doing this? What do you want from me?" Haley had asked shakily._

 _Damon ignored her, so she asked again. This time he spun around and slapped her._

 _"Shut up!"He snarled and stormed out of the basement. She heard a click of a lock on the door behind him._

 _Haley placed her hand on her cheek where she had just been slapped. She felt the hot tears that were now trailing down her face. Haley wandered slowly over to the bed in the room and laid herself upon it. She cried herself to sleep that night._

 _Six days later Haley was still there. The small kitchen of the basement was stocked with food, so Haley had not gone hungry. Overall the basement contained everything she needed to survive. Haley had given up on crying about three days ago; it did no good. Haley just kept telling herself it would be okay. She would be found and be able to go home to Nathan. Everything was going to be alright..._

 _Haley woke up to a clenching feeling in her stomach around three am. It felt like somebody was wringing out a rag in her belly. Haley wasn't an idiot; she knew exactly what this was. She was beginning to have contractions._

 _No, no this couldn't be happening. Haley couldn't have the baby without Nathan here with her. He couldn't miss this._

 _As the day went on, the contractions only continued. When Haley tried to lay down to go to sleep that night the contractions only quickened and the pain intensified. Soon the pain and discomfort became inescapable. Damon had also not been down to check on her all day. After about an hour of her yelling for someone, he finally came storming down the stairs._

 _"What the hell do you want?"He snapped._

 _"I-I think I'm having my baby," Haley said, pain evident in her voice._

 _He merely looked annoyed to have been bothered._

 _Damon roughly took her and tossed her on the bed, which just caused Haley's pain to intensify even more. She begged for him to let her call Nathan. All Haley wanted at that moment was to hear his voice and have him talk her through this. Damon had refused though and backhanded her when she kept asking._

 _The next ten hours were filled with pain and screaming for Haley. She was beyond feeling pain, it was as if she had become the pain. Finally, when Haley felt like she had nothing left in her, her baby girl was born._

Haley smiled at the memory. As painful as that day was, it was the best day of her life. She remembered the feeling of love at first sight when Damon had laid Emma on her chest. Every time Haley looked at Emma from that day on she was reminded what she was fighting for and that she had to keep the faith. One day things were going to get better.

Haley had been so lost in her thoughts she did not notice that Emma was now sitting on the floor playing with some dolls. Haley also needed to figure something out for dinner.

"Any ideas for dinner lovebug?"

Emma put her doll down and thought carefully. After a minute or so she finally made her suggestion.

" Macaroni and cheese?"

Haley grinned "I like the way you think."

"C'mon Nate it's just one date!" Nathan's agent Clay Evans pressed.

Nathan shot another basket and then firmly said "No."

He had been trying to convince Nathan to double date with him and some girl and her friend for the past half hour. However, Nathan was not budging on his decision.

"C'mon it'll be fun! You deserve a little fun!"

"Not that kind of fun," Nathan said as he made a final shot and headed toward the bench where his water sat.

"Why not?"

"Not ready," Nathan said before taking a big gulp of water.

Nathan was just being honest. He wasn't ready to date again. He would never be ready. Haley had been the one for him. She had been his soulmate. There was nobody else for him.

Clay had ironically also lost his wife, Sara. That was part of how he and Nathan had connected so well as friends. Clay felt some of the same pain Nathan felt. Unlike Nathan, though Clay used one night stands and dates to numb the pain in his heart. Nathan personally could not do it. It felt too much like a betrayal to Haley and her memory.

Clay seemed to realize he was fighting a losing battle.

"Alright, I give up for now. You gotta live your life at some point though Nate,"

"I am living."

"Yeah, a half-life!" Clay argued, "Nathan there's nothing wrong with going out and having fun!"

With that, he walked away. Nathan knew he would be over it in a few hours.

Nathan halfway knew Clay wasn't wrong, but he still couldn't bring himself to go through with it. He couldn't do it to Haley.


	6. Chapter Five

Nathan wasn't sure exactly what he was doing here. He had his opening game of the season tonight; he should be in Charlotte. Nathan had not been here in over four years. Not since the day, they buried her, and even that was a blur.

He knew he should be her most frequent visitor; he just couldn't bear it. It was way too painful. Even now every step towards his destination felt like a weight and every part of him was screaming to turn around and go back. He had to do this though. He owed it to her.

His destination was finally in sight. Flowers of every kind surrounded the grey granite headstone. Nathan knew Brooke came out here regularly to visit and keep up with things. Lucas also sometimes came out. Peyton and Karen usually brought flowers when they were in town. She had many people that had loved her in life. It made Nathan feel better that she had others that came to keep her company since he did not.

Finally, he stood in front of the spot. He placed the bouquet of purple flowers that he had brought with him next to all the other flowers that had been left for her. He then sank to the ground and stared at the stone in front of him.

"Hey, baby." Nathan murmured as he traced his fingers over where _Haley James Scott_ was carved into the granite. He was already beginning to feel tears start to flood his eyes.

"Sorry I haven't been out to visit you, it's not fair to you. It's just really hard to see you like this and accept that you're gone,"Nathan continued, his voice starting to choked on a laugh "I'm sure Brooke talks your ear off though."

After a while, he could not help it, and sobs began to rock through his entire body.

"I'm sorry," He choked, tears streaming down his face "I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you."

The responsibility Nathan felt for Haley's death hit him hard. He had promised to protect her always... He had broken his promise...

Nathan tried to wipe his tears with his sleeve, but it was useless. The tears just kept falling. Suddenly Nathan felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to find Lucas looking down at him sadly. Nathan closed his eyes and tried to ignore the fact Lucas was here. His tears continued to fall.

"It's my fault," He whispered again "I couldn't keep her safe,"

"It wasn't your fault Nate. You couldn't have known what was going to happen that night. You also can't blame yourself for what some bastard did."

Nathan did not respond to Lucas he just stared straight ahead at her headstone and tried to get his emotions under control.

"How'd you know I'd be here?" Nathan asked after a while.

"I didn't," Lucas said, taking a seat next to Nathan. "You are honestly the last person I expected to find out here. I just like to come out to talk to Hales sometimes. I like to think she can hear me."

"Shrink has been suggesting it for a while," Nathan muttered, "Says it will give me closure."

Lucas nodded, and they sat in silence for a while again.

"Don't you have a game tonight?" Lucas asked eventually.

Nathan nodded "I don't wanna leave her alone again now though."

"True, but she also wouldn't want you to lose your dream job either though," Lucas said, getting up to his feet and holding out a hand for Nathan.

Knowing Lucas was right, Nathan reluctantly got to his feet.

"Bye angel, I'll be back soon. I promise." Nathan said before turning to walk back towards his car.

Lucas hung behind for a second.

"He misses you Hales. So do I."

The Diner was extremely busy. Haley was constantly clearing tables and taking orders. The dinner shift was always busy, but this was insane. The customers were not exactly being polite tonight either. It took everything in her not to scream when the hostess gave her another table.

The next table she got though wasn't too bad. The men at the table were in deep discussion about some basketball game, so they barely acknowledged her.

When everything seemed somewhat under control, Haley joined Michelle at the waitress station.

"So how is Emma liking school?"Michelle asked.

Haley had enrolled Emma at the local preschool. Haley loved being able to see her little girl play with all of the other kids, but it was hard to give her up for three hours a day.

"Well she likes the playtime aspect, but she is not too big on the sitting down and learning the part. The teacher said she's doing good though." Haley said.

"That's great!" Michelle said with a smile and ran back out to attend to her tables.

Haley occupied herself by rolling some new silverware. She was glad Emma was doing well in school. One of her biggest fears, while they were being held captive, was that Emma would never get to experience school or be way behind when she did start school. Haley's old tutor self-had come out and tried to make sure Emma was where she needed to be, but Haley knew there was only so much she could do.

Haley went back out to check on her tables. It seemed to be slowing down a little Haley noticed with relief.

The group of guys at the one table were still discussing sports. Haley barely got a thank you as she delivered their food. She was about to walk away when she caught a snippet of their conversation.

"You know I'm not a Bobcats fan, but that Scott kid really is something."

The other guys nodded in agreement.

 _"Scott"_ Haley thought. They couldn't be talking about Nathan, could they? No, it had to be a coincidence...

Either way, she stood nearby, desperate to hear more.

"And he's young too. He's only like 21 or 22," The one guy continued "I'm telling you he's going places."

"Where's he from again?"

"I don't know, some small town in North Carolina."

Haley nearly dropped the tray she was holding.

"Hey?" A voice broke Haley out of her trance. "You okay Erin?"

Michelle was standing in front of her looking concerned.

"Yeah. I'm fine," Haley said with the best smile she could muster.

Michelle did not look convinced, but nodded and walked away.

Haley graded back towards the kitchen to drop off the tray she had been holding.

She decided to finish rolling the silverware she had been messing with earlier. It had quieted down enough for her to hear the game on the T.V. she had not been paying attention to earlier.

 _"Charlotte Bobcats point guard Nathan Scott shoots another three-pointer! That's thirty-three points for Scott now tonight, and we're only in the second quarter!"_

This time Haley did drop what she was holding and look up at the T.V. Sure enough there he was. It was the first time she was laying eyes on him in five years. He was focused entirely on the game, the same way. Haley always remembered him being when he played. When she looked close enough though she saw something else, something easily missed if you did not know Nathan as well as she did. The camera got close enough for her to see his face and his eyes nearly broke her heart. His beautiful blue eyes held a sadness she had never seen before. Nathan was heartbroken. He needed her and there was nothing she could do. Running back to Tree Hill would only attract Damon and get all three of them seriously hurt or killed.

Seeing what her absence was doing to him was only going to make staying away harder now though.

God, she needed to figure out a way to get rid of Damon and get back to Nathan. She wasn't sure how much longer she could do this. To herself, to Emma, and to Nathan.


	7. Chapter Six

After seeing that one game, Haley could not help herself and tried to catch the rest of Nathan's games when they were on. It was bittersweet to be able to see him and see him play again, but not be able to contact him. It was also hard for her to not tell Emma that was her daddy on T.V., but there was too much of a risk of Emma blabbing that piece of information to the wrong person.

Haley had also done a bit of research and found that there was nothing else on Nathan beside basketball. It seemed that he pretty trained, played his games, and went home. Nathan never went out with his teammates and only seemed to go to the events that he was required to go to. He never seemed to have any real fun besides basketball. He was living a half-life.

Not that Haley's life was any better, but she had Emma as her reminder to keep fighting. Nathan didn't have that light in his life to keep him going. It was not like he was utterly alone, Haley knew he probably still had their friends. Lucas was most likely looking out for him in her absence, but there was only so much Luke could do. Nathan didn't let Lucas in like he let Haley in. Haley honestly wasn't sure how much longer she could keep this up. She ached to be back in his arms, for him to meet their daughter.

Deciding that Emma and she both could use a day of fun, Haley planned a day for them to visit the nearby city of Savannah. It would be good for Emma to see some new things and maybe a day of fun would be what they both needed. Due to them being locked up in that house, Emma had never been given the opportunities to visit new cities and see new things. Haley knew she should not feel guilty, but she did. It just bothered her that because of somebody else's horrible actions her daughter was not living the life she wanted her to be able to live.

Haley had decided to get a drivers license not long ago, and Michelle had given Haley her old car, so the trip would not be that hard to make. They would just spend the day looking around, eat, and then drive back to Brookfield. It wasn't much, but Emma was going to love it. She already seemed pretty excited.

When the day of their trip did arrive, everything went as planned at first. Haley packed them a picnic, they got ready and headed out for Savannah around 10 AM. They ended up getting there around 10:45 and spent about an hour sightseeing. Around lunchtime, they ate their picnic in a local park and Emma played on the playground.

This was when things started to feel weird for Haley. She could not shake the feeling that they were being watched. Moreso that she was being watched more than Emma. It may have just been in her head, due to the fact that she was still uneasy in public with Damon still out there. Haley tried to brush it off, but the feeling did not go away. At the same time, Haley did not want to drag Emma away from the park. The poor little girl rarely just got to be a kid. Haley didn't have the heart to take that away from her. She seemed to have befriended a little blonde girl who looked to be a little older than her. Another weird thing was the little girl seemed almost familiar to Haley, as if she had seen the little girl before. Haley just thought she was losing her mind at this point.

"She looks like him you know," A voice said from behind her. Haley's heart sped up. She knew that voice. All of a sudden everything clicked. She wasn't crazy someone had been watching them for the past 20 minutes and now she knew exactly who it had been. There was also a reason that little girl looked so familiar.

"I know," Haley said quietly, still not turning around to face the person behind her.

"Nice to see you, Haley." The voice said.

"Yeah you too, Peyton," Haley said, finally turning to face the girl behind her. Haley then also noticed Jake Jagielski hanging back not too far away. They were both staring at her as if they could not believe their eyes. Haley didn't blame them, to them they were staring at the girl that was believed to be long dead.

"Whats her name?" Peyton asked after a while.

"Emma," Haley said after a while "Emma Rose."

"Pretty," Peyton murmured.

"Nathan came up with it," Haley said and she felt tears starting to build "The night that I was.."

She trailed off, unable to think about how that night had turned into the worst night of her life. Tears began to fall from her brown eyes.

Peyton was silent. Jake and she just continued to stare at Haley in shock. Haley hastily wiped her eyes and turned to check if Emma was still okay. The little girl was still playing with Jenny Jagielski without a care in the world. She hadn't even noticed Haley talking to Peyton.

"How did you end up here Haley?" Peyton asked after a while.

"Long story." Haley mumbled.

"Why don't you start from the beginning," Peyton said. "What happened that night?"

Jake had finally joined them, very curious on what Haley had to say.

"Haley," He nodded. It actually felt good to be called by her real name again.

Haley opened her mouth to finally tell her story of the past five years, but Jake stopped her.

"This may not be the place. We don't live far, why don't you guys come back to our place to talk?"

Haley nodded and so they went.

This day was definitely not what Haley had expected it to be.


	8. Chapter Seven

"It started out just like any other night" Haley whispered. She was currently sitting on Jake and Peytons' couch while they sat across from her listening intently. Emma and Jenny were playing in the other room.

"I was just sitting in the kitchen waiting for Nathan to finish his shower. We were going to discuss baby names," She continued "He came up behind me and held a knife to my neck. He told me if I screamed or did not do exactly what he said that he would kill the baby and me and then Nathan."

"That's horrible" Peyton whispered, but Haley was not done.

"He dragged me out of the house and tied me up. Then he threw me in the trunk of a car. We drove for a long time and then once we got to his house he locked me in his basement. I had Emma a week later, and we lived in that basement for five years. Damon made sure we had everything we needed, and he occasionally took Emma places with him. It wasn't like anyone was looking for her. Still, this isn't the life I wanted for her."

"How'd you get away?" Jake asks.

"Damon forgot to lock the basement door one day. He had left, and Emma noticed it while she was playing and came and told me. I knew that was going to be our only chance to get away, so I packed some clothes for us in a plastic bag and waited to hear Damon leave. Once he was gone, I took Emma in my arms and bolted out of the house. I ran down the street to a neighbours house and banged on the door until an older woman answered the door. She took us in and cleaned us up. I told her my story, and she looked up my name. That was how I found I was apparently dead. The woman tried to convince me to go to the police, but that did not even feel safe. The answer at the time was just to buy a bus ticket and get as far away from Damon as possible. That is what I did and how I ended up here."

"Why not just call Nate Haley?" Jake questioned, "He would have helped you in a heartbeat."

"It's not safe. I could lead Damon right to us. I am sure he is watching to see if I go running back to Nathan."

"Why are you so afraid to go to the police?"Peyton asks "They could put Damon away for good."

"If they found a body that is not mine, then who says the police are not involved in this somehow. I don't know why, but I don't trust the police with this. I feel like this goes to deeper than Damon. I could never figure out his motive for taking me."

"You think someone hired him?"

Haley nodded "No clue who though."

It is quiet for a while until Peyton finally speaks.

"Haley you need to call Nathan and at least let him know you and Emma are okay."

"I can't-"

"It's killing him, Haley! He doesn't even know what happened that night!"

"I know he's a mess!"Haley snapped "I see it in his eyes every time I see him on T.V.! It is a daily struggle not to call him or go see him."

Tears were falling from Haley's eyes at this point.

"I HATE the fact that Emma hasn't gotten to have him in her life," Haley continued "None of it seems worth it if I get him hurt or killed though. I am just trying to keep him safe."

Peyton and Jake seemed to get her reasoning for hiding somewhat. They agreed to keep her secret for the time being.

"Haley you know you are eventually going to have to come out of hiding right?" Says Peyton.

"I know," Haley responds "I just need some time to figure things out and figure out how to get rid of Damon, and whoever else is trying to hurt me without anybody I care about getting hurt in the process."

It is quiet for a while until Haley asks "Is he dating- Is he with anyone?"

Jake shakes his head "People have tried to get him to move on, but he refuses. He says you were the only one for him and he can't think of himself with anybody other than you."

Haley breathed a sigh of relief. Losing him to another woman had been a constant fear while she had been kidnapped and in hiding. He technically could do whatever he wanted since she was technically dead. He had stayed faithful to her though. He hadn't forgotten about her in her absence.

It may take some time, but Haley was going to find her way back to him.

Nathan meanwhile sat alone sipping a beer at a hotel bar in New York. The Charlotte Bobcats had made an amazing defeat against the New York Knicks earlier that night. Nathan knew he should feel happy, but as usual, all he felt was a deep feeling of loneliness and emptiness.

He had been there a while when he felt the seat next to him move. He didn't look at the person next to him. He really did not care to be honest. He just wanted to be left to drown his sorrows alone.

"Drinking alone?" The voice next to him asked.

Nathan looked to see a pretty brunette in a racy red dress sitting next to him. A feeling of dread came over him. Women were always coming up to him and trying to ask him out and hook up with him. He always turned them away. They didn't get it. Nobody got it. He had already had given his heart away, and he would never get it back. It was buried with Haley in Tree Hill. Unless she could somehow be brought back to life, he would never feel love again.

Nathan just shrugged and tried to ignore her. Maybe she would go away. That hope was crushed when she continued talking.

"I'm Carrie," She says.

He glances without much interest at her "Nathan,"

"Oh, I know who you are. You did a fine job tonight."Carrie says, attempting to flirt with him.

"Thanks,"He mumbles shortly. He really just wanted Carrie to go away.

Time passes, and Carrie continues to talks about where she is from and why she is in the city. Nathan mostly ignores her, occasionally nodding. He was surprised she had not given up on him by now. Most other girls would have. She seemed determined to get him to have a conversation with her though.

When Nathan realized she was not going away, he stubbornly kept up a conversation with her. To his surprise, he halfway began to like her. He found out she was a nanny from a small town in Connecticut. She had come to New York for a weekend of fun with some friends.

After a while, Carrie suggested getting out of there and Nathan had a feeling what she was looking for and he couldn't. Talking to a nice girl at the bar was one thing, but sleeping with her was a line he could not cross.

Nathan gently turns her down, and she looks upset. She tries to push the idea, but he doesn't budge. Haley was his wife. He would not share his body with anybody but her. That was something he would forever stand firm on.

Carrie had finally stalked away annoyed, and Nathan went back up to his room and prepared for another night sleeping alone.


	9. Chapter Eight

The first of February marked six months since Haley and Emma had escaped from Damon's house in Connecticut. Haley was overall amazed that they had gotten this far without him finding them. Haley was also lost on what her next move should be. She knew that she could not hide forever and that it was unfair not to let Nathan know that she was alive. At the same time, Haley knew that by letting him know she was alive would be putting a target on his back. Either way, she lost.

Haley continued to see Peyton and Jake since they had found out she was alive. They often babysat Emma for her, so she did not have to take Emma to work with her anymore. Even though Jake did not agree with how Haley was handling her current situation, he was civil to her Peyton was another story. She made it very clear that she did not agree with Haley not contacting Nathan and that Nathan had a right to Emma as much as Haley did. Peyton overall treated Haley the same way she did after Haley had come back from the tour their Senior year. It hurt to have her friend treat her so coldly, but Haley also knew where Peyton was coming from. Peyton had watched Nathan be in pain for years, and in her eyes, Haley was the solution to making everything better. She was not wrong, but it also was not that simple. Peyton was overall kind to Emma, which was all that mattered to Haley.

Haley continued to work long shifts at the diner to support Emma and herself. She was exhausted when she got home, and her feet often ached. Over the months, Haley had saved up more and more money. She had been able to buy things to make her apartment feel more homely for them and for the first time in Emma's life Haley had been able to buy her decent things. Brookfield was by no means their permanent home, but Haley had done a good job of making it a nice temporary home for them.

Today marked something else too though. Today was Haley's Twenty-Third birthday. It was the first time in years that she was not spending her birthday in captivity. That did not make it any less lonely though. Especially since Emma would be with Peyton and Jake all day and she would be working the majority of the day. Definitely not how she envisioned her birthday. While she laid in bed, she tried to envision the perfect birthday.

The day would be spent with her amazing husband and their beautiful daughter. Nathan would go all out and treat her like a princess like he always used to do on her birthday. He had always insisted on making her birthday as special as possible. The two birthdays Haley had spent with Nathan had been the two best birthdays she had ever had. Haleys's perfect birthday would be spending the day as the happy family Haley yearned for them to be. That night after Emma went to bed, Nathan and herself would spend hours on end making love just like they used to.

Haley was broken out of her fantasy by the sound of glass breaking coming from her kitchen. She looked next to her to find that Emma was no longer sleeping beside her. Thinking the worst, Haley climbed out of bed and quietly crept into her tiny kitchen.

Was this it for them? Had Damon finally found them?

What she found was not a man looking to harm Emma and herself, but Emma standing next to a broken bowl. Cereal and milk were spilled on the floor next to the broken dish. Haley was relieved, but not a happy mother.

"Emma Rose are you supposed to touch that stuff without Momma's permission?"

Emma put her head down.

"I'm sorry momma," The little girl says looking as cute as can be "I only wanted to bring you breakfast for your birthday."

Haley felt her heart swell at her daughter's words and began to find it very difficult to be unhappy with Emma at that moment.

"That's very nice of you baby," Haley says giving Emma a small smile "Next time just please don't play with stuff without asking momma first, okay?"

"Okay," Emma says smiling brightly at her Mother. The little girl then runs around the glass to give Haley a hug "Happy birthday Momma!"

"Thanks, lovebug" Haley says with a smile, hugging her little angel back.

How had she gotten so lucky to have gotten the sweetest little girl possible?

After they ate breakfast, Emma hadn't been able to wait to give Haley her birthday present. Emma had made Haley a painting at preschool that read "Happy Birthday Mommy I love you."

Even though the majority of her birthday would be spent without Emma at work, Haley loved the fantastic start to her day that Emma had given her.

Three hundred miles away things were not going as well for Nathan. There were so many dates in the year that caused Nathan Scott terrible pain. Haley's due date for their baby, their wedding anniversary, the anniversary of Haley's disappearance, and today which is Haley's birthday. She would have been Twenty-Three years old today. If things had turned out the way they were supposed to Haley would be lying next to him, and they would have a five-year-old sleeping in the next room over.

To make matters worse, he had a date tonight that he was dreading. Of all of the nights to have to go on a stupid date. Carrie from the hotel in New York really could not take no for an answer apparently. She had gone through Clay to have a date set up for her and Nathan, and Nathan apparently did not get a say in the matter. It really pissed him off despite the fact that everybody around him seemed to be happy he was moving forward with his life. Didn't anybody understand that he didn't WANT to move on from Haley?

Nathan dragged himself out of bed and prepared himself to face another day. He definitely wanted to drop some purple flowers off at the cemetery for Haley before his dreaded date.

It was around noon when Haley dropped Emma off at Jake and Peytons house. Jake smiled politely at them as he opened the door to let them in. Emma almost immediately ran off to play with Jenny. Peyton, who was standing in the kitchen, looked over at Haley coldly. Haley smiles as politely as she can and sets Emma's backpack on the table.

"So Haley," Peyton says casually, and Haley looks up "Nathans got a date tonight,"

Haley's keys and phone drop to the floor. It felt like Peyton had just sucker punched her. She couldn't be mad, he was technically single after all, but it still hurt to think about him with another woman. It also reminded her that her chances of getting her husband back were getting slimmer with each passing day.

"I'm sorry I have to get to work," Haley says holding back tears. She kisses Emma goodbye and rushes out the door to her car. Jake looks after her sympathetically and then turns to Peyton.

"What the hell was that Peyton?" He askes angrily.

Peyton shrugs "She should know what 'staying away' is doing. Nathan is going to move on eventually!"

Jake gave her a hard look "You know he was practically forced into this. He doesn't want to date! He's still crazy in love with Haley."

Peyton shrugged "She still should know,"

"It's her birthday for god's sake, Peyton! Did she really deserve that?!"

With that, Jake walked away to check on the kids.

Haley's tears had flooded the minute she had gotten into her car. She had not driven very far before deciding to pull over on the side of the road. She let her tears flow for a few minutes before pulling out her phone, not believing what she was about to do.

Haley dialed a number into her phone and prayed the phone number was still the same.

After a few rings, a familiar husky voice answered "Hello?"

Haley covered the speaker of the phone to hide her sobs at hearing his voice for the first time in over five years.

"Hello?Anyone there?"

"I'm so sorry," Haley whispered, her hand still covering the phone so he wouldn't hear her.

"Hello?"He asked again.

"I love you," Haley whispered before the line went dead.

Doing her absolute best to pull herself together, Haley put the car into drive and pulled back out onto the main road towards her job.

Nathan shook his head and hung up his phone as he reentered his apartment to get ready for his date. He had just yet again received another strange phone call. He should be used to groupies and the press get a hold of his phone number and email address by now, but it never failed to irritate him. He had sworn he heard the sweet angelic voice he missed so much whisper she loved him, but unless it was a ghost calling his phone that was impossible.

Nathan had just spent the last half hour at the cemetery. He had brought her a bouquet of those little purple flowers that she loved so much. It warmed his heart when he saw that he had not been the only one to visit her recently. Haley's grave had once again been filled with flowers of every kind. He did not cry as much as he had the last time he visited her. This time he mostly just talked to her as though she could hear him. Peyton was right; it did help.

Nathan wasn't sure whether or not to be happy to be moving forward with his life. Even though he knew moving forward was a good thing, he could not shake the fear that he would somehow forget Haley in the process of moving on. Deep down Nathan knew that was insane, but it still bothered him.

A couple hours later he sat in a chair at a high restaurant waiting for Carrie. His leg was bouncing up and down at a rapid pace under the table, and his palms were soaked with sweat. He reached again for the glass of water in front of him.

After setting his glass back down, he glanced around the busy restaurant. A family of three sat across from him; a mother, father, and a little girl. The parents looked about his own age, and the child seemed to be about five or six years old.

 _The same age his own child was supposed to be._

As much as he was ashamed to admit it, he could only feel envy as he watched them. It was another daily reminder of everything he had lost and how much he missed Haley.

 _Where the hell was Carrie?_

He did not want to be here in the first place, it only added to his annoyance that she was over twenty minutes late.

Nathan actually felt nervous. He had not been on a date in years. Besides his dates with Haley, he could actually say he had never been on a real date with anybody else. He had never had the decency to take Peyton on a date when they were dating, and besides that, he basically used girls for sex. He was unsure what to do or how to even act.

After a few more minutes, he considered just walking out. Then he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. The waitress had just led Carrie over to his table. She was wearing a racy red dress with a pair of black stilettos. She was the type of girl Nathan would have gone for in the past, but she didn't interest him now. He wasn't that guy anymore. He had been changed for the better.

"Hey Nathan," Carrie says with a flirty smile "Nice to see you again,"

He nods "Same to you,"

Carrie let out an annoying giggle and Nathan internally groaned.

 _This was going to be a long night..._

An hour later Nathan was finishing the last of his steak and Carrie had done the majority of the talking just like she had that night in New York. He wasn't even sure what she was talking about at this point, maybe her shoes or her hair. Just like many of the other girls that had tried to get with him, Carrie was very full of herself.

As much as he knew it was wrong, Nathan couldn't help but compare her to Haley. Everything Haley said was always exciting. Nathan had never found her dull or annoying as he found Carrie. Hell, even Haley's meal would have been more interesting than Carrie's. Carrie had ordered a salad that she hardly even touched. Haley would have ordered something that had substance to it, and she would have actually eaten it. He smiled sadly to himself as he thought about her food of the god's macaroni and cheese.

Nathan wasn't sure what it was, but at that moment he realized he didn't belong there. He did not belong on a date when he had long ago given away his heart. He had to get out of there. This whole night was a waste of Nathan's time and money.

"Carrie," He said, speaking for the first time in a while.

She stopped talking and looked at him curiously.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go," Nathan says flagging down the waitress for the check.

Carrie looks very taken aback "What? Why?"

"You seem like a really nice girl, but I'm just not looking to date right now," Nathan said as nicely as he could. It didn't help much because she looked pretty annoyed and slightly offended.

"Is this about your wife?"

This time it was Nathan's turn to be taken aback "What?"

"C'mon Nathan everybody knows the story of what happened to your wife."

Nathan was well aware of that. He found it quite annoying having his private life broadcasted into the media, but at the same time he could not control it.

Nathan took a deep breath and then said "Yes that is part of it,"

"That's understandable, it's awful what happened to her, but wouldn't you want to find someone else to keep you company? Why stop looking just because she's gone? Wouldn't she want you to be happy?"

Nathan nodded "She would, but she was also my soulmate. My end game. There isn't another girl out there for me,"

"How do you know that?" Carrie argued, "How do you know that one of the million girls out there wouldn't be right for you?"

She was getting pushy, and it was starting to creep Nathan out.

"I just do," He said pulling on his jacket and pushing out his chair. He paid their bill and wished Carrie a nice night before walking out of the restaurant and to his car.

Once in his car, he pulled out his phone and dialed Clay's number. It rang a few times and went to voicemail.

"You owe me big time," Was all Nathan said before hanging up the phone and putting the car in drive. He did not realize he was being followed.

Carrie Ryan was very irritated as she climbed into the car that was waiting for her.

"How'd it go?"Her brother Damon asked.

"How do you think it went?" Carrie snapped.

"He didn't go for you?"Damon asked in disbelief.

Carrie shook her "Worse than New York. He flat out shot me down this time. He still hung up on his precious Haley."

"Well so much for the plan of using him to get her and her little brat out of hiding."

"Its been six months Damon!"Carrie snapped "We're running out of time! _He's_ getting impatient."

"It's not that easy!"Damon snapped "I've looked!They could be literally anywhere. That bitch did a damn good job of covering her tracks!"

"Well, you shouldn't have let her get away in the first place!"

It was silent for a while before Damon quietly asked "So there's no chance of him going for you?"

Carrie shook her head"Not a chance."

"What now?"

"No idea."

It was quiet for a while again before Damon looked up and notice Nathan's silver car drive away. He was struck by an idea, and Carrie noticed.

"You got something?"She asked.

"Yup," Damon said as started the car and took off following Nathan "It's not going to be pretty though."

Nathan was stopped at a stop sign near his apartment complex when he felt another car slam into the back of him.

"You've got to be kidding me," He groaned before putting the car in park and getting out.

 _Could this day get any worse?_

"Oh God dude I'm so sorry," The other guy says, coming to look at the damage on Nathan's car.

"It's fine man. Accidents happen,"Nathan says pulling out his phone to call the police. When Nathan turns away, Damon grabs him and punches him.

Nathan whips around to swing back at Damon, but Damon is faster. He pushes Nathan on the ground and continues to beat tried his best to defend himself, but Damon was a lot stronger. After a few minutes, Nathan was too weak even to attempt to swing back at his attacker. Damon just continued to beat Nathan as hard as he could.

Finally, with one last hard kick to the stomach, Damon said "You can thank your wife for that,"

With that, he walked back to the car where Carrie was waiting.

"That should get Haley's attention," Damon commented, and Carrie nodded.

They sped off, leaving Nathan lying in the street next to his car.

A few hours later, Haley James awoke to the sound of her cell phone buzzing.

"Hello?" She asked groggily.

"Haley?"Asked a voice and it took Haley a second to register that it was Peyton.

"Peyton I'm not in the mood to hear how Nathan's little date went,"She said tiredly.

"No, no it's not that,"Peyton said quickly, and Haley registered the panic in Peyton's voice.

"Peyton whats wrong?" Haley asked sitting up in bed, now more alert.

"Haley its Nathan. H-He was attacked," It was obvious she was trying not to cry "I-Its bad Haley,"

Haley's blood ran cold. Barely realizing what she was saying or thinking about the consequences, this would bring.

She whispered "I'll be right there,"


	10. Chapter Nine

Seconds after hanging up with Peyton, Haley jump into action. Jumping out of bed and flipping on the light, she blindly begins throwing clothes for Emma and herself into a backpack. Emma had been staying the night at Peyton and Jakes house, so Haley had just told Peyton to take Emma with them to Tree Hill, and she would meet them there. She was actually grateful Emma was not there to see her in such a panic.

Haley was aware of the risk she was taking by going back to Tree Hill with Damon still on the loose, but at the moment she could care less. All she could think about was the fact that Nathan was hurt and needed her. Damn the consequences this would bring.

 _Haley had to see that he was okay._

When Haley was sure she had everything she would need for her trip to Tree Hill, she was out the door and into her hand me down Jetta. The car was eleven years old and not in the best shape; she prayed it would make it to Tree Hill without any problems.

The one word that ran through Haley's mind over and over as she drove was _why._ Why would anybody want to hurt Nathan? If Haley was sure of anything in the world, it was that Nathan was a good man. A good man that has never done anything to deserve all of the pain he has been put through in the past few years. So why did somebody have to come along and cause him more pain and suffering? _Why?_ Why did someone have to come along and start all of this, to begin with?

That was a question she had been asking herself for the past five 1/2 years.

 _Why had she been kidnapped? Why were all these terrible things happening to her? To Nathan? To sweet little Emma? WHY?!_

Haley knew she would most likely never have an answer for any of her questions, but that did not make the questions go away. As silly as it seemed, Haley also could not help but wonder if she had been the reason behind Nathan's attack. It did not make sense for Damon to go after Nathan though. Damon wanted Emma and herself. Why go through the hassle of going to Tree Hill to hurt Nathan? It didn't make any sense to her. There had to be some other reason behind why Nathan had been attacked. Nathan had probably just been the unfortunate victim behind a random mugging. It was the only logical explanation Haley could think of.

Haley had been so lost in her thoughts that she barely noticed when the sun began to rise. She also realized she was a little over two hours away from Tree Hill. With each mile she drove she became more nervous. Not just for Nathan's well being, but for herself. She was going home for the first since she had been cruelly ripped away from her life five 1/2 years ago. Over the years to give herself hope, Haley imagined what it would be like when she got to go home again; she never thought it would be like this. When she dreamed about going back to Tree Hill, she always imagined Damon would be in prison and no longer a threat. Emma would meet her dad, and he would adore her as much as Haley did. She and Nathan would be able to start the life they had always dreamed of with their little girl. She never imagined rushing home on such god-awful circumstances.

In Nathan's lifetime, he had been through hell and back and overcome all of it. Nathan was strong. He would pull through this.

"He's going to be okay," Haley murmured to herself as she drove "He has to be."

Lucas, Peyton, Brooke, and Jake sat around a table in the hospital cafeteria. Lucas was a mess, and Brooke was doing her best to console her husband.

"Who would do this?" Lucas asked aloud for what felt like the millionth time. Nathan had been beaten within an inch of his life and then left in the street to suffer. Nobody knew precisely how long Nathan had been lying unconscious in the street before some good Samaritan had stopped and called for help.

Nathan was still unconscious and in pretty bad shape, but was expected to make a full recovery. He sadly would be missing a few of his games, something Dan Scott had not taken kindly to hearing.

Dan and Deb had rushed to the hospital as soon as they heard about Nathan's attack. Deb had been genuinely concerned about her son's well being, whereas Dan had been more concerned about Nathan's basketball career. His first question had been 'Would Nathan be able to play again?'. The doctor had informed him that Nathan would eventually be able just fine. Nathan luckily had no broken bones; he was just severely beaten and bruised. He would most likely be very sore when he woke up and would need to rest for a few weeks at the least. Dan was not happy to hear this.

Out of everybody Lucas had taken Nathan's attack the hardest. He could not wrap his mind around why anybody would attack Nathan. Nathan minded his own business and never bothered anybody. He went through the motions of life and kept to himself. Why would anybody want to hurt him?

"They said he's most likely going to recover Luke," Brooke says gently trying to console her husband. Lucas isn't having it though.

"Doesn't change the fact that it happened and this is something else Nate is going to have to deal with," Lucas replied.

They all agreed sadly.

"And they're sure it wasn't just a robbery?" Jake asked.

Jake and Peyton had arrived not long ago with Jenny and another little dark-haired girl named Emma. Lucas and Brooke had found it a little strange they had brought one of Jenny's friends along, but they claimed the little girl stayed with them for long periods of time while her mother worked. There was something familiar about her, but Lucas couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"That is what everybody assumed at first, but nothing appeared to be missing. Nate's wallet, his phone, his watch, the car... It was all there. What kind of muggers wouldn't take that stuff? It appears to have been nothing more than just a brutal, cold-blooded attack. The weird thing is that it almost seemed personal."

"You think he knew the attacker?"Peyton asked.

Lucas shrugged "Who knows. The only people who know exactly what happened are Nathan and the attacker. Since the police have no leads on the attacker, we just have to wait for Nathan to wake up and tell us what happened."

Not long after that Lucas and Brooke decided to go back upstairs to see if there had been any change on Nathan. Peyton and Jake remained sitting at the table while Jenny and Emma played at another nearby table.

"Anything from Haley?"Jake asked quietly.

"Not really. She was still pretty far away last time I talked to her, but that was a while ago. I told her to call me when hit Tree Hill and we would figure out what to do." Peyton replied.

"What happens once she gets here?"

"No idea."

Haley watched the road intently as she drove .She had gotten off the highway not long ago. It would not be long now, she knew she could not be but a few minutes away from the town she had so terribly missed. Upon getting off the highway she had been worried about getting lost, but found that she remembered the way to Tree Hill perfectly.

What Haley had not been prepared for were the emotions that hit her upon driving into Tree Hill. The little town that she had so badly missed had not changed a bit. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she drove passed Karen's Cafe' or what used to be Karen's Cafe.' It now just appeared to be an empty building in the town square.

What had happened? Had Karen gone out of business? Had she moved with her new baby? Had the memories of Keith in Tree Hill become too much for her?

There were so many unanswered questions for Haley. So much that she had missed.

Trying not to let her emotions get the best of her she pulled over to the side of the road and pulled out her phone to call Peyton. After a few rings, she answered.

"Hello?"

"Okay, I'm here, now what?"

Peyton almost seemed unsure of how to answer "Uh we are all at the hospital, do you just want to meet us up here?"

"That's fine," Haley answered quietly.

"Okay, do you remember how to get here?"

"I remember. Meet me by the main doors, just make sure nobody is around."

Peyton quietly agreed before hanging up.

Fifteen minutes they stand before each other outside of the hospital in Tree Hill. Haley kept her hood pulled up at assure nobody would recognize her. Peyton had asked Jake to keep an eye on Lucas and Brooke and to give her a warning if they tried to leave.

"How is he?"Haley asked quietly.

"He's stable," Peyton assure her and Haley let out the breath she had been holding in, "They think he's going to be fine."

"Do they know who did it?"

Peyton shook her head "No no leads. Thank god the media hasn't gotten wind of what happened yet though. That's going to be a mess."

Haley nods, and Peyton takes in her appearance. The poor girl is a mess physically and emotionally. From what Peyton could tell, it looked as if Haley had spent a good part of her drive here crying. Peyton suddenly felt some guilt at how cold she had been with Haley the past few weeks. She really had not taken into consideration how much Haley had been through in the past few years.

"Haley maybe you should find a room somewhere and get some rest," Peyton suggests.

"I don't want to," Haley responds softly.

"Haley you really should-"

"I said I don't WANT to," Haley says more loudly and firmly.

"Okay, so what do you want?"

Haley spoke very clearly "I want to see Nathan,"

It definetely took some planning. Haley had to wait in her car while Peyton had Jake convince Lucas and Brooke to go get food somewhere. It proved to be hard since Lucas was reluctant to leave Nathan. Haley was not going to have long with her husband, probably no more than a few minutes, but it would be enough for her to see for herself that he was alright.

After what seems like forever Peyton gives Haley the okay to meet her in the hospital lobby. Once again Haley keeps her hood up to avoid being spotted. In the elevator, she does her best to hide her face from the security cameras. Haley knew that this was probably the time to come out with the fact that she was, in fact, alive, but she still was not ready. Haley's stomach begins to flutter as she gets closer and closer to her husband. This was not how she expected their reunion to be at all.

Soon Haley and Peyton stand outside of his room. The hallway is deserted.

"Try to be quick," Peyton tells Haley "I'll send you a text if someones coming. Jake is supposed to warn me if they come back, but anything could happen."

Haley nods and thanks, Peyton. Haley turns and nervously opens the door to Nathan's room.

Haley gasps softly when she sets eyes on him. He was laying in the bed, and his eyes were closed. He had a black eye, and ugly bruises covered his body. She slowly walked over to him and sat in the chair next to his bed.

Haley picked up his hand and held it in her own. She expected it to be cold, but it was warm to the touch.

"Nathan I really need you to be okay," She tells him even though he most likely cannot hear her "I love you so much Nathan and I _need_ you on this planet. I _need_ you. Emma _needs_ you."

Haley cries for a while, her tears falling onto his hand.

After a little while, she is shocked to feel the hand move. She is even more shocked a few seconds later.

" _Haley_?" A familiar but weak voice croaks.


	11. Chapter Ten

"Haley?"

Haley was in a state of complete shock and panic. Haley hadn't planned on him waking up while she was there. He wasn't supposed to wake up while Haley was there. She had merely planned on being with him without his actual knowledge that she was there with him. What was she supposed to do now?

Despite her worries, Haley gently squeezed his hand and gently smiled at him. In that moment, nothing else seemed to matter except that she was face to face with her husband again. The fact that Haley was on the run didn't matter. The fact that he thought she was dead didn't matter. All that mattered was the two of them. It was as if the world around them had just stopped.

"Hi Nathan," She whispered, her eyes pooling up in tears.

"They told me you were dead," Nathan mumbled. He appeared to be in a state of exhaustion and confusion.

"Yeah I heard that too," Haley murmured smiling sadly at him.

"Am I dead too?"

Haley was unsure of how to answer him. It would be very wrong to let him think they were both dead when they were indeed alive, but Nathan was not ready to know Haley was alive. She would have to go along with letting him think he was dreaming. To avoid having to answer his question, Haley simply changed the subject.

"Nathan I've missed you so much," Haley whispered, gently stroking his cheek.

"I've missed you too. Life kind of sucks without you," Nathan replied reaching up to tenderly push a piece of her hair out of her face. She looked so different from the last time he saw her. Haley was no longer pregnant, and her hair was much shorter and darker. She also looked exhausted. Nathan did not understand why Haley looked so different in death. Is this how she looked before she died? Had the killer forced her to change her appearance? Why did she look so tired? Had his late bride been unable to find peace with her killer still on the loose? What had happened to their baby? Nathan had so many questions for her.

"Haley, what happened that night after I went upstairs? I came back, and you were just gone," Nathan asked, his voice still hoarse.

Haley sighed. She needed to give him something. He deserved some answers.

"He took me while you were in the shower. He told me if I screamed he would kill us both. So for your sake I kept quiet and let him take me," Haley told him, and his gorgeous blue eyes had tears in them.

"Oh, Hales I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you from-"

"Nathan listen to me," Haley cut him off, she was running out of time "I need you to stop blaming yourself for what happened to me. There was nothing you could have done; he would have just taken me some other time you left me alone. It wasn't your fault baby."

"Hales who took you?"He asks.

Haley shook her head at him. She could not tell him. It would only put him in the path of danger.

"It won't make a difference," She tells him, and he looks angry.

"Won't make a difference? Of course, it will make a difference! You deserve justice, Hales! Whoever did this to you deserves to pay!"Nathan states incredulously.

Again Haley shakes her head at him.

"It won't Nate, you'll just get more hurt than you already are," Haley tells him "Please just please stay out of this."

Nathan opens his mouth to argue with her but quickly closes it. If Haley wanted him to let it go, he had to. He loved his wife too much disrespect her wishes, especially if this could be the last thing she ever asked of him.

"Alright,"Nathan says tiredly. He looks seconds from falling back asleep.

Haley did not have much time left, but there was something else she needed to know.

"Nathan I need to ask you something."

He slowly opened his eyes to look at her "Anything,"

"Nathan who attacked you last night?"

Nathan shakes his head "I didn't know him. He hit my car, and when I turned away to call the police, he just attacked me. Tried to fight back, but he was too strong."

"Nathan what did he look like?"Haley pushed, a feeling of dread coming over her.

Nathan shrugs "Big guy, messy long blond hair, had a beard..."

Haley's blood felt like ice in her veins. Nathan had just given her a description of Damon.

Nathan noticed the change in Haley.

"Haley, what is it?"He asks worriedly.

Haley does her best to muster a reassuring smile. Nathan did not need to worry about her; he needed to worry about getting better.

"Nothing,"she says.

At this point, Nathan is trying his hardest to stay awake.

"Haley?"He asks, fighting to keep his eyes open "What happened to the baby?"

At the mention of Emma, Haley smiles and can't help but brag about their little angel to him.

"Oh shes wonderful Nate! She's perfect in every way!"Haley gushes.

"She? It was a girl?"

Haley nods, smiling at him.

"A girl," smiles "I wanted a girl."

With that, Nathan falls back into unconsciousness, leaving Haley in awe. With one last kiss to his forehead, Haley gets up.

"I love you," She whispers before exiting his room to meet Peyton back out in the hallway.

"All good?"Peyton asks offering her a friendly smile.

Haley smiles back "Thank you, Peyton. Not just for this, but for everything you and Jake have done for Emma and me."

"Its no problem,"Peyton replies, reading Haley's facial expression she asks "Haley whats wrong?. Is Nathan-"

"Nathans fine,"Haley is quick to reply "He is going to be just fine. I can feel it. I-I just need some time to think. Do you think you guys could watch Emma just a little while longer?"

"Yeah sure no problem, take as much time as you need."

"Thank you!" Haley says giving the other girl a hug "Just try to keep eyes on her as much as you can. Especially here,"

Peyton nods "I'll see about taking them back to Luke and Brookes house; they should be safe there."

Haley gives a small smile at the mention of her other friends. There was nobody else she would trust with her daughter's life more than them. Well except for Nathan. With one last thank you and smile to Peyton, Haley rushes towards the stairs. After everything that just happened, she desperately needed some air. Haley is more aware of her surroundings now with the knowledge that Damon is near. She is surprisingly not afraid for herself anymore. Knowing that he was the one who attacked Nathan, Haley wanted blood. Mess with her all he wanted, but don't touch Nathan and don't touch Emma. Haley was through with being afraid and through with being nice.

After leaving the hospital, Haley found herself driving aimlessly around Tree Hill. After a while she found herself parked outside of the gates of the Tree Hill cemetery. Haley was not sure how she ended up here, but here she was. After a moment Haley got out of her car and wandered into the cemetery. She knows the risk she is taking walking around in broad daylight, but she really didn't care. It takes a while, but Haley eventually finds what she is looking for. She felt a sense of awe when she saw the bouquet of purple wildflowers next to the grave. They were fresh. Nathan had been out here recently to visit her. It wasn't her in that grave though.

It felt strange to see her name on a tombstone. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs that it wasn't her, that she was alive. She knew it would do no good though.

Haley wondered about the girl who had been buried under her name. Who was she? Did she have a family? Were they looking for her? What had happened to her? How had she ended up being identified as Haley?

Haley felt a significant amount of sadness that the girl was in the wrong grave while those who loved her might still be looking for her, praying for her safe return. Haley made a promise to herself that once she got her own life sorted out, she would find justice for the girl in her grave.

"Whoever you are I'm so sorry everybody thinks you are me," Haley whispered to the tombstone "It's really not fair to you. I promise when this is all over I will find you some justice. I'll talk t your family and try to give them some closure. Some peace."

Haley is so wrapped up in her conversation with her Jane Doe that she does not notice the man in the distance watching her. He smirked smugly and made his way towards her.

Haley held her breath as she heard the approaching footsteps. Her blood went cold when the individual spoke to her.

"Hi Haley, long time no see,"

"Damon."She whispers before a hard blow to the head knocks her unconscious.

Later on in the hospital, Lucas sat by his younger brothers bedside. He sent everybody back to his house a while ago, telling them that he would call them if anything changed with Nathan. By a miracle, Nathan starts to stir after a while.

His blue eyes flutter open, and he croaks for Haley.

Lucas looks at his brother with pity. He really never was going to be able to let go of Haley ultimately.

"Haley's not here Nate," Lucas reminds Nathan gently.

"No,No she was here,"Nathan insists "We talked. She was here!"

"Nathan, Haley is dead. She's not here Nate," Lucas tells Nathan sympathetically.

Nathan closes his eyes and nods understandingly. Lucas excuses himself to go and call everyone to let them know Nathan is awake.

It had all just been a dream. A perfect dream. His Haley was dead, and she was never coming back. Nathan felt himself wishing that he was dead too. Why couldn't he have been killed in the attack? Then he could be with Haley...

Peyton stood at the sink in Lucas and Brookes kitchen washing the plates from dinner. Jake and Brooke sat in the living room with the kids watching a movie. They had all done their best to occupy the kids while waiting to hear news on Nathan. Peyton and Jake were starting to get worried for they had not heard anything from Haley either. They understood she was going through a lot, but it was unusual for her not to call to check up on Emma.

Peyton hears the phone in the next room ring, and Brooke anxiously answers it. Brooke talks on the phone for a few minutes and then comes running excitedly into the kitchen.

"Nathans awake!"She tells Peyton with a smile on her face, "And he seems like he's going to be just fine!"

Peyton smiled "That's great!"

"Yeah, Jake's going to go up there now,"

Peyton nodded "Okay sounds good."

"Since the guys, Lucas will probably be at the hospital all night you can put the kids in Luke, and I's room and you and Jake can take the guest room."

"What about you?"

Brooke shrugs "I can take the couch."

"Brooke you don't have to do that,"

She waves Peyton off "Its fine, I wanted to stay up to work on some designs anyway."

Peyton shrugs and decides it is better not to argue with Brooke "Alright,"

She wanders towards the next room to tell the kids it is time for bed. She glances at the time on the microwave before leaving the room. It is nearly 10:00. It had been almost twelve hours since she had last seen Haley at the hospital. Where the hell could she be?

XXX

Haley James Scott was slowly pulled out of unconsciousness. She blinked her eyes a few times to try to adjust to the darkness of the room she was in. Confusion and fear hit her almost immediately. Where was she? The last thing she could remember was being at the cemetery and then seeing Damon. Damon.

Haley started to struggle and became aware of the scratchy rope binding her hands behind her back and binding her legs to the legs of the chair she was tied to. She tried to get her hands free, but the rope was too tight. The more Haley struggled, the more it painfully dug into her wrists. She also had a throbbing headache, most likely from where she had been knocked out.

How long had she been out for? It was hard for her to judge considering there were no clocks or windows to tell her what time of day it was. Before Haley can overthink about it, she hears footsteps. They get closer and closer until Damon stands in front of Haley in the dim light of the room.

"Welcome back sleeping beauty," He says "Took you long enough."

Haley attempted to throw a variety of swear words at him but was met with a rag that was being used to gag her.

He smirks "Nice to see you too. Its been a while,"

He stares at her for a moment before reaching out to strike her across the face. Haley let out a muffled cry of pain.

"You bitch!"He snarls "Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused? Why couldn't you just stay put? I gave you and your little brat everything you needed. Food, shelter, clothes... You were so greedy and ungrateful though. Couldn't appreciate what you had. You ran away from me. I always told you what would happen if you ran away and I found you. I told you there would be a price for you and that kid to pay."

Damon had always told Haley that if she ever ran or tried to run she would be signing her own death sentence as well as Emma's. It was the primary reason she had been so terrified of him finding them.

Haley knew he planned on killing her. She knew she had a slim chance of making it out of here alive. All she could do was pray that her baby girl was okay. That was all that mattered. Hopefully Peyton and Jake would realize something was wrong when they didn't hear from her. Maybe they would be able to get her help on time. Maybe. She wasn't counting on it though. They would have to give an explanation about her being alive in the first place which would take time. Then they would have to actually find her, which would take time. Time was not something she had. Damon was only going to keep her alive for so long. She had hours left. Maybe a day if she was lucky. All she could do was pray.

Early next morning back at the Lucas and Brookes house Brooke and Peyton sat at the kitchen table drinking their morning cup of coffee. The mood was the lightest it had been in a few days since they had just been informed that Nathan was going to be released from the hospital later that day. .Even though he was going to have to take it easy for a few weeks, his injuries were relatively minor and did not require much care from the hospital.

It had been a whole day since Peyton had heard from Haley and she was starting to get extremely worried that something had happened to her. She had tried Haley's cell phone, but it appeared to have been turned off. Even if she was upset and wanted to be alone, it would be bizarre for Haley to turn her phone off. Especially while Emma was in their care.

Peyton was doing her best to pretend to be calm and happy around Brooke. She was waiting for Jake to return so she could express her concern about not hearing from Haley. Peyton didn't understand what was taking the boys so long to return. Between waiting for them and not hearing from Haley, she was getting more put on edge by the minute.

"You okay?"Brooke asks, not looking up from the sketch that she was working on.

"Uh yeah I'm fine," Peyton replies "Just anxious for them to get back,"

Brooke nods, continuing her sketch.

A little while later little Jenny Jagielski came padding into the kitchen.

"Where's Emma?"Jenny asks.

"Wasn't she in bed with you sweetie?" Brooke asks still working on her sketch.

Jenny shakes her head "I woke up, and she wasn't there anymore."

"Is she in the living room or the bathroom?"Peyton asks.

Again Jenny shakes her head "No I looked."

"Well, I'm sure she's around here somewhere honey," Brooke sayings smiling at Jenny.

"C'mon I'll help you look," Peyton says taking Jenny's hand and walking towards the living room. Sure enough, Emma was not in there nor was she in the bathroom. The house was pretty small Peyton was not sure where else the little girl could be. She ventured into Brooke and Lucas's room. Just like everywhere else in the house Emma was not there. Her stomach did drop though when she noticed that the door that leads outside was open.


	12. Chapter Eleven

It took everything inside of Peyton for her not to panic. Emma was nowhere to be found, and the door that leads outside was wide open. She instantly knew that Emma would not have just run off on her own. After everything Haley and Emma had been through, Emma knew better than to go off by herself like that. If Emma was not in the house that meant Emma must have gone off with somebody or somebody must have taken her by force. She highly doubted she would have gone off with a stranger voluntarily. Peyton momentarily wondered if Haley had taken Emma in the night and run off again. That seemed very unlikely though. After all the pain her initial disappearance and supposed death had caused, Haley would not just leave without a word.

Peyton pulled out her phone and dialed Haley's cell phone number. It went straight to voicemail. It was very unusual for Haley to go this long without checking up on Emma. There was a voice in Peyton's head screaming that there was something seriously wrong.

Peyton stood in a state of shock for a moment before a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Peyton are you okay?"

She turned around to see Brooke standing in the doorway wearing an expression of worry.

"Emma's gone, " Peyton whispers.

"What do you mean she's gone?" Brooke asked, her expression going from worry to confusion.

"As in she's not anywhere in the house, and the door is wide open!" Peyton exclaims, her voice filled with panic.

"Peyton, I'm sure she's fine..."Brooke tried to reassure Peyton, not understanding why she was getting so worked up.

"I sure as hell hope so. Can I use your car?"Peyton asks "I'm going to look around town to see if I can find her."

"Sure," Brooke says, offering Peyton a gentle smile "I'll keep an eye on Jenny too."

Peyton quickly thanked her and was out the door.

Haley blinked backed into consciousness. She was unsure of how long she had been asleep or even when she fell asleep. Haley had made attempts at getting her hands free, but they were bound too tightly. Her head was still throbbing, and she was starting to feel nauseous. Haley was not sure if the nausea was from lack of food and water or a possible concussion. Maybe it was a combination of both.

There is enough light in the room for her to slightly make out where she is. It is not a room she recognizes, but she appears to be in some sort of warehouse. Haley can hear voices in the distance, but she cannot make out what they are saying. She can pick out Damon's voice and an unknown female voice.

 _"Who is the woman?" Haley wonders "And what does she have to do with me? Is she the one Damon has been working for this whole time? Is she the one who had me kidnapped in the first place?" What would this woman have against her?_

She had so many questions and close to no answers. She also had little time left. She wondered if they would spare her any answers before killing her.

Haley had sadly concluded that she was never going to see Nathan or Emma again. She sadly hoped that Peyton and Jake would explain everything to Nathan and he would take her place in raising their little girl. She knew he would shower Emma with all the love and affection she needed, Haley just hoped Emma could somewhat heal the pain Nathan had been in the last few years. Despite his own thoughts, Haley always knew that Nathan would be a great father. Emma would be okay. That gave her some sense of peace. It broke her heart that she had never been able to reunite the three of them as a family though. That was all she had dreamed of since the day Emma had been born. The vision of them together as a family is what kept Haley going over the past few years. It was what kept her from giving up hope.

Soon the throbbing of her head becomes too much, and she drifts back off into unconsciousness.

Meanwhile, Peyton had driven all over Tree Hill looking for Emma without any luck. Haley's phone was also going straight to voicemail. After over an hour and a half of driving, Peyton sadly concluded she was not going to find Emma and headed back to Lucas and Brookes' house. She is grateful to see that the guys did not seem to be back yet. She was not sure if she could look Nathan in the eye knowing everything that was going on without his knowledge. Things had gone way too far. They should have just gone to Nathan the minute they found out Haley was alive. She had known that from the beginning but had let Jake convince her to respect what Haley had wanted. What a mistake that had been.

Upon entering the house, Peyton finds Brooke in the kitchen.

"Hey did you find her?"Brooke asks, looking up from what she is doing.

Peyton shakes her head sadly.

"Peyton if you can't find her maybe you should call the police."

Peyton shook her head "No no police,"

As much as that was probably a good idea, how was Peyton was supposed to explain who Emma was? There were no records on Emma. Hell, she didn't even have a picture of Emma. As far as the cops were concerned Haley was dead, and so was her baby. Peyton had no solid proof either of them was alive. The police would laugh at her if she went to them.

"Peyton are you sure? If she really is missing that's really serious-"

"I said no!" Peyton says harshly "I-I just need to talk to Jake,"

Brooke looks at her as though she is insane but says "O-okay they should be back any minutes.

Sure enough a few moments later the door opened, and Lucas and Jake entered the kitchen.

"Hey guys, "Brooke says carefully "Wheres Nathan?" She asks upon noticing only Jake and Lucas.

"We took him to get his car back, and he said he'd catch us later." Lucas tells her "I don't know what's up with him. He's been kind of in a daze since he woke up,"

"Think he's okay?"She asks.

"Physically he's fine. He's just a bit sore. Mental wise, I'm starting to wonder if he is ever going to be okay."

"Peyton, you okay?" Jake asked taking notice of how uneasy she looked.

Brooke already knew what was going on, so there was no point in trying to hide it from Lucas.

"No" She responds quietly "Emma is missing Jake."

"What do you mean she's missing?"

"As in wasn't in her bed this morning and nowhere to be found!"

"Do you think we should call the cops?"Lucas suggests.

"I already suggested that," Brooke pipes up "Peyton doesn't want to."

Lucas looked at her as if she were insane "What?! Why not?!"

"We just can't okay!"Peyton says quickly.

Before Lucas can argue, Jake speaks.

"Have you talked to her mom at all?" Jake asks.

"No, she isn't answering her phone," Peyton responds giving Jake a look to indicate how scared she is for Haley and Emma.

"Peyton I really think we should call the police-"Brooke tries to suggest again only to once again be shut down by Peyton.

"Peyton, can I talk to you for a sec?" Jake asks.

"What?"She asked once they were in the privacy of Lucas and Brookes bedroom.

"Look maybe we should just call the cops. I know Haley said no cops, but this whole thing has gone too far."

"Yeah, and what are we supposed to tell them? Our friend who is supposed to be dead and her kid who is also supposed to be dead is missing?! They'll think we're insane!"

"Well, what else are we supposed to do? If we do nothing, then Haley and Emma could end up dead for real! I don't think we would know where to start if we tried to look for them on our own either! So what do you suggest we do Peyton?" Jake asks, an edge to his voice.

Peyton did not answer him; instead, she was looking past him at the door, a looking of horror on her face. In the doorway to the bedroom stood Lucas. Judging by how pale he had become and the look of shock on his face, he had heard everything they said.

 _"Haley? She's alive?"_

Nathan sat in the grass staring at the granite headstone as he had many times before. He had dreamt of Haley many times over the years, but none of them had ever been as real as the dream he had of her in the hospital. It had truly felt like she had been back with him. As crazy as it was he wanted to believe that maybe it was his late wife in the form of an angel. As far fetched as it was, it was a nice thought for him to have.

He couldn't get their conversation out of his head. How could she tell him to let go of what happened to her? How could she not want justice for her and their child? _Their child._ Had it really been a girl? Even though Nathan had said he wanted a boy while Haley was pregnant, he had been secretly hoping for a girl. He just hadn't wanted to get his hopes up in case it wasn't. Since they had gotten married Nathan had always dreamed to one day have a daughter who was just like Haley. Again he was brought back to what could have been.

As he sat staring at her tombstone, he thought of her request of him to let go of what happened to her. Could he really move forward with his life? Could he really give up on getting justice for her? He thought about it and was actually considering it until he happened to look down and see something in the grass. Something he knew very well and had not seen in over five years.

 _A pink cracker jack bracelet._

Nathan would recognize it anywhere. He had given it to Haley the first morning she had tutored him.

 _Don't say I never gave you anything._

His words from that morning replayed in his head at the sight of the bracelet. The last time he had seen the bracelet had been on Haley's wrist the night she had gone missing. When they found her body, there had been no personal items with it. Not her bracelet or her wedding ring. Not even the outfit she had been wearing the night she wearing the night she disappeared. Investigators on Haley's case had assumed that the killer had disposed of her stuff somewhere away from her body, destroyed it, or had kept it as a trophy.

If her bracelet was here, it meant the killer had been here too. Had they come to her grave to get some sick high on reliving what they did to her? Did they leave her bracelet to taunt Nathan and the cops?

Nathan's blood boiled at the thought that his wife's murderer had been here. That they had the nerve to come near her.

His fist clenched around the bracelet. He hated to going against what Haley wanted, but he couldn't let it go. The bastard that took his wife and child away from him needed to pay. Nathan wasn't going to rest until he got justice for his wife and baby girl.

"Sorry Hales," He said to himself as he got into his Range Rover and took off.


End file.
